30 January, 2012

On the Aisle: Partying in the stacks at Bookless

On the Aisle: Partying in the stacks at Bookless: Bookless at the Madison Public Library's central branch on Saturday night felt like a rabbit hole into a much bigger city.

Two hours in, the line snaked out the door and around the corner. Inside, the reference desk had been transformed into a bar, staffed by Merchant. The walls were covered in paint and old library cards, the signs all switched around, with a photo booth just inside the door.

There were video installations and live music on every floor. There was an oracle, where you could send a question down a pneumatic tube and get answers to life's most persistent questions. A friend asked what her baby daughter would be when she grows up. The answer: A constellation.